The Trials and Tribulations of Revenge
by smoking caramels
Summary: Sequel to Treasure and a cute techie aka success! When Ian breaks out of jail, he sets his sights on revenge. But all's fair in love and war, right? Not if Elizabeth has anything to say. Rated M for safety. RileyOC AbigailBen
1. New Beginnings

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own National Treasure, just Elizabeth and this particular plot idea._

**Chapter One**

Two guards walked down a hallway with a cartload of food for the inmates at the maximum-security prison. It was mealtime for the inmates and they were on duty for the most dangerous and evil men in the county. They both lined up to punch the key code in when they were instantly stunned by taisers. Two other guards stepped out of the shadows and quickly opened the door with a technical decoder. They hid one man and dragged the other with them, and quickly went to the last door. They unlocked it and stepped into the cell. The man seated in the cell looked up and grinned sadistically. His revenge was in hand.

"Did you do what I told you to do concerning the Chase girl?"

The men stripped the guard of his clothes and the inmate switched with the guard. The dead man became the caged criminal and the man became an upstanding protector of justice.

"We followed your instructions to the letter."

The three walked out and quickly made their way out of the prison.

"Excellent. It's going exactly as I planned."

Abigail sat in her small apartment, tissues scattered everywhere. She couldn't believe it. Her sister was dead and a part of her seemed to have died with her. She hadn't shown up to work since her abduction by Ian at the Archives. For Abigail, everything she saw held a little of Elizabeth. She couldn't look at a filing cabinet without bursting into tears.

She sniffed and immersed herself back into the memory of _that_ day...

_The head doctor walked out of Elizabeth's room towards her waiting family and friends. Abigail, Ben, and Riley all stood up and anxiously waited for what the doctor had to say._

_"I'm sorry, but we did all we could. The fever was too much for her body, coupled with the amounts of blood she had lost." he said morosely._

_Abigail was shell-shocked and her knees gave out on her as she crumpled to the floor. Ben was equally as shocked but did his best to comfort Abigail. Riley walked to Elizabeth's room in a daze and stood there until Abigail and Ben walked in. He gently ran his finger along Elizabeth's jaw line, then abruptly punched the wall, and stalked out. Abigail dissolved into a puddle of tears. Ben had to help her out of the room._

_Her funeral was equally as somber and tear-filled. Abigail and Ben were there along with Mr. Gates, and her friends and coworkers from Egypt. Riley had disappeared. The casket was closed; otherwise, Abigail wouldn't be able to stop crying..._

Abigail sniffed and gazed out the window. The world seemed so much duller without her little sister to liven things up.

Ben was staring at the TV in horror. The past week had been hell and now _this_! First, Elizabeth died, sending her sister into plunging depression. Then, Riley disappeared and no one still knew his whereabouts. Now Ian had somehow escaped from the most secure prison in the country!

He quickly ran out of his hotel room and hailed a taxi to Abigail's. On the way, his brain whirled with possibilities of what Ian might do. Try to kill them? Exact revenge? Try to destroy the Declaration? Steal the Treasure? The taxi pulled to a stop and he quickly thrust money at the drive, ran up to Abigail's apartment, and began to pound on her door.

"Abby! It's Ben! Abigail!" he yelled, terrified Ian had already made his move against them.  
The door was opened fairly quickly.  
"Ben? What's going on? Is something wrong?" she asked, ushering him into her apartment.

"It's Ian, he's escaped out of prison and no one knows where he is. I think he'll try to get revenge on us somehow. Maybe try to steal the treasure, destroy the Declaration, hurt or kill us... I just got really scared and had to come over." he said, suspiciously looking around her apartment as if Ian would pop out at any moment.

Abigail paled a bit.

"What do we do? I mean, is the FBI going to do anything for us or are we on our own?" she asked, panic creeping into every word.  
"I don't know. Sadusky might contact us since Ian is most likely to come after us and they'll have an easier time catching him... Do you want me stay here with you until he calls us or..." Ben asked, laying a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.  
Abigail blushed lightly. "If you wouldn't mind."  
Ben returned a blush and cleared his throat. "Not at all."  
They smiled shyly at each other.  
"Do you want some tea? I'm kind of cold. Plus it's been so dreary what with this rain and all..." Abigail said.  
"Sure." Ben said softly.

Abigail walked into her kitchen, leaving Ben in the living room.  
_'It sure is messy in here... Poor Abigail, she's taking this so hard. I wish I could do more...'_ he thought sadly.

He began to clean up the room; throwing away tissues, putting things back where they belonged, and lastly, throwing away the glass from a picture frame of Abigail and Elizabeth from when they were children. When Abigail came back into her living room, she was surprised to see it so clean. She smiled sadly at him.

"I'm sorry it's such a mess. When I got back here, I had a major meltdown... I don't think I've really stopped crying until you came..." she murmured apologetically.

She sat down next to Ben and handed him a coffee mug filled with hot tea. She drank hers slowly, staring off into space. Ben mimicked her, leaving Abigail to her thoughts. When they were both done, they put their mugs in the sink. Abigail stood in front of it and seemed to be thinking about her sister again. Ben shook his head sadly.

_'It's not good for her to be so gloomy all the time. I need to cheer her up.'_ he thought.

He walked over to her and turned her around. She looked up at him and tried to smile but she choked on her tears. He pulled her into his chest as she began to so her heart out. He gently rubbed circles on her back and swayed slightly with her in his arms. She sniffed and looked up at him as he looked down at her. Their faces were inches apart when Ben closed the gap and they kissed, softly at first, but soon turning it into a passionate affair. Still kissing, Ben picked Abigail up and walked towards her bedroom, not sure where the evening would lead...

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away... a young woman with strawberry blonde hair began to wake up. She had an athletic build, but was on the skinny side, with curves where they count. She sat up in her bed and rubbed at her teal blue, almond shaped eyes and yawned. She gazed about in mild confusion when the door to her sparse room was opened by a man. The woman's eyes widened and she quickly backed away from him on her bed.

"Victor!" she squeaked. "What are you doing here?!"  
He grinned at her and shut the door. "Do you even know where 'here' is?" he asked, walking closer to her.  
She blinked and thought for a moment. "A... hospital...?" she asked hopefully.  
"Wrong." he said, stopping in front of her bed." May I be the first to welcome you to Ian Howe's hideout, Miss Elizabeth Chase."


	2. New Ends

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own National Treasure, just Elizabeth and this particular plot idea._

**Chapter Two**

Mr. Gates was wary of what the future had in store for him. His son's girlfriend was a puddle of tears nowadays, and his son's best friend was missing. Poor Ben was merely trying to keep his friends afloat in a sea of chaos and fear. The older man sighed and leaned back into his recliner. After they found the treasure, his back had started acting up. He just couldn't keep up with the younger generation.

"I better get grandchildren before I die." he muttered.

He picked up the remote and turned on the news. Mr. Gates chuckled to himself as the news discussed all about the treasure hunt he had been a part of, frowning when they highlighted Elizabeth's tragic death. Then the camera shifted to a picture of Ian.

"We have just learned that Ian Howe, the man who tried to steal the Declaration of Independence, but was thwarted by the Gates family, has somehow escaped from jail. Authorities say-"

In an instant, Mr. Gates' pleasant evening was shattered. He vaulted out of his chair and ran to the telephone. He dialed Ben's apartment number, pacing with each ring. When he heard the answering machine, he slammed the phone down and began to rifle through his stacks of paper, looking for Ben's cell phone number. Some papers scattered on the ground before he was able to find it. Dialing quickly, he paced faster.

"...Dad? Why are you calling at... two in the morning...?" a groggy Ben answered the phone.  
"I'm calling because Ian's escaped from jail! Ben, he's going to come after you! I want you to call up Agent Sadusky and have agents watch you until he's apprehended. He's a dangerous man and I'm worried son." Mr. Gates said quickly.  
"I don't know his number dad, I figure he'll call us in the morning okay, so don't worry. Ian won't make any moves so soon after breaking out." Ben said, trying to reassure his father.  
"He had better call tomorrow. I'm positive Ian will come after you. No doubt, so be careful."  
"I will dad, you too. I'm sure he'll be mad at all of us. Hopefully we can catch him when he comes for me."  
Ben heard a sigh over the phone as his father began to speak again. "I'd rather he not come after you at all. Agent Sadusky will have no choice but to use you as bait and that's what I'm worried about."  
"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Take care of yourself dad." Ben said.  
"I'll try, but it's a parent's prerogative Okay, you too son, you too." Mr. Gates replied.

He hung up the phone and walked tiredly out of the kitchen. Once he was in bed, he picked up the picture of his parents. He sighed tiredly and rubbed his face. He moved to place it back on his nightstand but he gasped in surprise and dropped it. The glass shattered.

Ben snapped his cell phone shut and laid down next to Abigail in her bed.

"Is your dad okay?" she asked softly.  
"Yeah, he's okay. He just saw a news reel about Ian and got pretty worried." Ben murmured.

He scooted down under the covers and pulled her close to him. He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled.

_'If you're listening God, please keep Abigail safe. I can't loose her...'_ he thought sleepily before drifting off again.

Agent Sadusky had a migraine. A **big** one. He rubbed his temples and tried to listen in to what his agent had to say.

"So are you telling me that we have no leads? They just walked out of the prison and into thin air? You're telling me **no one** saw them? Or their car? They weren't stopped? Can someone tell me what the hell is wrong with this picture?! We had him under tight security and he escaped by a simple little switcher-roo that _no one_ noticed until three and a half hours later?!" he slammed down the folder filled with security photos. "This is..." he swallowed his words. "That's just wonderful. _Spectacular_!"

He rubbed his temples again and sat down in a chair.

"I want agents with Mr. Gates, Ben Gates, and Dr. Abigail Chase. Howe will most likely go after them, at least one at a time. I want every single man in the prison, inmates included, interviewed for **any** information. I want Riley Poole found and I want the files on Dr. Elizabeth Chase's death." he commanded.

The agents scurried off to do as they were told and quickly for when Agent Sadusky was in a bad mood, heads didn't roll off bodies, they were _blasted_ off.

Sadusky stalked off to find migraine medicine. Ten minutes later, he received the files on Elizabeth's death. He read them in depth, repeatedly. He set down the file and ran over the facts in his head.

One, Elizabeth had lost a lot of blood. Two, she had contracted a fever due to the shock her system received losing and gaining blood so fast. Three, she slipped into a coma. Four, she was recovering and was expected to wake up in a day or two. Five, she died due to heart failure from the fever that never really left her system. Six, this was unexpected and had caught doctors unawares.

He thought of all the cases where doctors would euthanize their patients they deemed to be suffering and wanted to put out of their misery. But this didn't fit that scenario. The windows in her room didn't open and she was on the twelfth floor. The security videos showed no interference from outside her room. Could it all just be a clean death, an accident that coincided with Howe's escape?

It was true that they hadn't been able to catch all of Howe's men but they had made sure that he hadn't of had contact with anyone. So why did his gut tell him that Elizabeth's death had been foul play? And if there was one thing that had gotten Sadusky to the top of the FBI, it was most definitely his instincts.

"Sir, we have some bad news. Mr. Gates was found dead in his home. And, you should see this." the agent handed him a picture.

Agent Sadusky's mouth formed a grim line of anger. He slammed the picture down.

"Dammit! Those men better be within two feet of Ben Gates and Abigail Chase or God help them!" he stormed out of the room with the agent following him nervously.

The picture was a photo of Mr. Gates' bedroom wall. His body was crumpled at the base of it and in blood was written "**2 down 3 to go**"

Ben had just gotten back to sleep when he heard the front door burst open.

"What the-?" Abigail squeaked in fright as men with guns came into the room.  
"Dr. Chase? Mr. Gates...? Are you both alright? We're the FBI and we have orders to stay with you two until Ian Howe is apprehended." an agent said, a little thrown off that they were both together.

Ben nodded and murmured something to an agent nearby. The man colored a bit and motioned the other men to leave for a moment.

After about a minute or so, Abigail and Ben left her room, Abigail blushing profusely.

"Ah, Mr. Gates, Dr. Chase, I'm glad to see you two are okay." Agent Sadusky said.  
Ben walked over and shook hands with him. "I take it this is to protect us from Ian Howe?" he asked, sitting down next to Sadusky on a couch. Abigail mimicked him.  
"Yes, normally we wouldn't have used so much force." the agent's eyes flickered to Abigail's face. "We have our suspicions that Ian may be linked to your sister's death." he said softly.

Her eyes turned to stone, her mouth in a grim line, and her hands balled up in fists.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this Ben," he turned his attention to him. "But we didn't get to your father's in time. He was murdered. I'm so sorry."

Ben sat there numbly. He couldn't believe it. He had just talked to his father, maybe not five minutes before he had died! He balled his hands into fists. Ian would pay. Ian would pay with his life.

Elizabeth was all cried out. She had a hand shaped bruise on her right cheek, a gash on the back of her head, scrapes, cuts, bruises all over her body, and her lips were bloody and swollen. She laid on the concrete ground, pain racking her body as Victor grabbed her by the hair and hoisted her up so her face was parallel to his.

"Count your lucky stars that Ian's saving you for himself." he spat maliciously and slammed his lips onto hers.

She gasped in pain as he molested her mouth. Reacting purely on instinct, she bit down on his tongue. He yelped in pain as his blood filled her mouth and threw her to the ground.

"Bitch."

He kicked her roughly in the stomach and stalked out of the room.

"That'll teach you to mouth off to me..."

She whimpered and curled up in a ball, spitting some blood and spit out of her mouth.

"Could have brushed his teeth..." she muttered, before fainting.


	3. We're all in this together

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own National Treasure, just Elizabeth and this particular plot idea._

**Chapter Three**

"Hello? Sir, are you alright? Sir, open up the door. Sir? I'm coming in now." an elderly maid said, opening the door to a hotel room.

She flicked on the lights and gazed with trepidation at the man seated on the bed. She rushed over but paused to stare into his dead eyes until they blinked.

"Sir are you alright?" she asked again.

He continued to sit there, unmoving. She gently shook him until he blinked and glanced at her.

"Sir," she murmured, "**Are you alright**?"  
He blinked rapidly as if to wake himself up and glanced at her. "No."  
"Are you injured?" she asked, concern creeping into her voice.  
"Yes." he said.  
"Where?" she asked him quickly.  
"My heart is broken." he murmured.  
The woman blinked and it suddenly dawned on her. "Do you want to tell me what happened?" she asked him, sitting down on the bed beside him.

He took a deep breath and began speaking in a flat voice. "The woman I love is dead. She died from a fever. **He** sliced open her leg and she told me she would be fine. I thought so too until she rested her head on my shoulder and never woke up. Then at the hospital, the monitors went haywire and she died. She's dead and so am I."

The maid's heart went out to the young man next to her. She looked down at her hands and played with the ring on her left hand. "I know what you mean. Several years ago, my husband died from a heart attack. It felt like a piece of me died with him. I hit rock bottom. But, once down there I began to retrieve the fragments of my heart. I realized there was only one way to go and that was up. I can say now, as I look back at the years that have passed with him, I can say that I was happy once and I can't go any lower. I went into counseling for a bit and I still miss him. My love for him has never died and neither will my memories. But I'm not dead. I still have life in my body and so do you. I live for husband. You should live for your love because you're still young and, do you think she would want you to be dead in this world when you could be very much alive? Please young man, think over my words carefully: I'll check back on you later tonight. Please, for her sake, become alive again."

The woman left the room and went back to her duties, all the while praying for the young man.

He sat there for an hour, deep in his thoughts. He thought of her smiling face, her giggle, when they first met, her wit, her smell, her frail body on the hospital bed, her gasping breath, her pale face, her dead face... Victor's face popped into his head and he clenched his fists and ground his teeth. He would pay: that man would pay with his life. But her smiling face replaced Victor's grimacing one and he relaxed his body.

"I love you." he whispered, burying his face in his hands. "You really would want me to be happy wouldn't you? I've been so dumb just sitting here. I swear to you, I'll become alive again... Elizabeth."

When the woman came back later that night, she found the room unoccupied and a pile of bills on the dresser with a note. It read simply: "_I'm going to take your advice. Thank you. If she could see me now, she'd hit me on the head and call me a knob. So, I'm going to become alive again. Thank you. -Riley Poole_" The woman smiled and held the note to her chest. "Be happy Riley Poole, for the sake of her, be happy."

Ben sat tiredly on his couch with a mug of coffee and Abigail curled up next to him. Agent Sadusky sat across from him, delving deep into many files. Ben set down his mug of coffee and walked over to a window.

"Where are you Riley?" he murmured, very concerned for his best friend.

Suddenly an agent came into the room quickly and whispered something into Sadusky's ear. Sadusky straightened and exclaimed loudly, "It's about time!"  
Abigail woke up with a start and Ben walked over to them both.  
"What's going on?" Ben asked.  
"Me, that's what's going on." Riley said, stepping into the apartment with a cheeky grin.  
Ben and Abigail's mouths dropped.  
Ben walked over and glared at Riley. "You are an idiot." He raised his arm as if to slap him but instead gave him a hug. "You could have been killed!"  
"By what?" Riley asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.  
"By Ian." Abigail spat. "He broke out of jail and has already killed Ben's father. He's going to come after us next."  
Riley blinked and then clenched his fists. "Let him come, and Victor too. Saves me the trouble of tracking him down." he snarled  
Sadusky placed a hand on Riley's shoulder. "Leave that up to us Mr. Poole. I need to talk to you all now that we're all here together." he steered them all over to the couch.

"Ian is crafty and out for your deaths. I'm not going to let that happen but I need your full cooperation: understood?" he asked them.  
They all nodded their heads.  
"I uh," he sighed tiredly, "I have my suspicions about Elizabeth's death. I'm not convinced she's dead. I have no proof other than my suspicions. With your permission Abigail, I'd like to exhume the body and perform an autopsy."  
Ben stood up quickly. "I appreciate that you're going to protect us Agent Sadusky but to get Abigail and Riley's hopes up like that is cruel! I'm not-"  
"Do it." Abigail whispered. She looked up with tears leaking out of her eyes. "Just do what you have to do and do it quickly."  
Sadusky nodded and waved an agent over to give him instructions.  
Ben turned to Abigail. "Are you sure?" he asked her gently.  
"As long as there's a chance that she's alive, I'll do whatever I can to find her." she murmured determinedly.  
"I agree." Riley muttered his face in his hands.  
Ben sighed and hugged Abigail to his chest.  
"I hope she's alive." he whispered.

Elizabeth woke up with someone bandaging up her left arm. She groaned and opened her eyes. She gasped and tried to back up but pain shot through her body and she collapsed back on a bed, panting for breath.

"You really shouldn't move. I need you to hold still so I can clean you up properly." Ian stated.  
She whimpered as he applied pressure to a bruise and tried to wrench her arm out of his grasp. "Why should I? You're just going to hurt me more!" she snapped.  
He continued to bandage her up and said softly, "I'm not going to rape you, if that's what you mean. Victor was just trying to scare you. I wasn't here when he did this to you otherwise I would have stopped him, I swear to you Elizabeth, I never wanted you hurt.

Elizabeth blinked at his words. "Like I'm going to believe anything you say _Isaac_." she sneered.  
He moved closer, staring deeply at her. She growled, glaring at him. "You're just going to have to trust me." he said, gently placing a kiss on her forehead.

He left a stunned Elizabeth behind me as he left the room. As soon as the door clicked shut, she began to rub her forehead angrily, muttering about egotistical men and their cooties.


	4. Jane Eyre

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own National Treasure, just Elizabeth and this particular plot idea._

**Chapter Four**

For the first time since Elizabeth had arrived in her room, she could sit up and not feel pain. She had healed nicely and was trying desperately to devise a way to escape. So far, captors, one, Elizabeth, zero. She sighed wistfully and glared at the chains around her wrists, which were attached to the bed with a long chain. Seriously, who owned chains and used them?! She certainly didn't think they were necessary. All she had done was wait until some poor guard came in with food before making a break for it. So what if she had kneed some guy where it counted? And yes, maybe she had gotten a little savage when she bit that other guy... But they were so asking for it.

She nodded her head and grinned: they so deserved it. She tried to slip her wrists out, merely resulting in slicing open the fragile skin. She bit her lip and continued, until someone kicked open the door.

She yelped in surprise as the man glared at her. "I suggest you stop otherwise I'll have to notify Mr. Howe. I'm sure you don't want that."  
He moved to shut the door, but Elizabeth called out, "How's it feel down south?"  
All she received in reply was the door slamming. She giggled to herself but then sighed and studied the room again.

It was a simple cell. The only furniture was the bed she was sitting on. There was a vent on the wall opposite her, the door on the adjacent wall. There were no windows. She watched the small video camera as it stared back. It was right above the vent... She frowned in thought for a minute. She just might be able to fit inside the vent. It was a long shot, but she was willing to try anything at this point.

She sighed again and squeezed her eyes shut as she thought of her sister, Ben, and Riley. Were they okay? She wondered what they thought happened to her. She grimaced at that thought and quickly changed track. She had to escape, she just had too!

_'God, if you're listening... can you give me some help here? I'm... scared and I miss Riley so much.'_

She ran a hand through her hair absentmindedly but paused when she felt a bobby pin she had thrown haphazardly in what seemed like years ago.

_'You sure are speedy God.'_ she thought with a grin.

Ian glanced at the clock on the wall, grinned, and stood up.

"I'm sorry to cut this meeting short, but I have a prior engagement. I want to know when I come back, where they all are and what the FBI is up to." he said breezily and walked out of the room.

He meandered through the halls of the mansion with a swagger that could only be his. He had bought this place as a safe house for the treasure. Having failed at that, it succeeded in hiding him from the world as he plotted his revenge. His plans before had merely been to become stinking rich by selling the treasure to the wealthy. Now his plans had changed. After _they_ were dead, he would dabble in supplying the most eager nation with arms and maybe a secret or two about America's key defenses. Anything to keep the money flow coming and the excitement levels high.

He walked through the complexity of hallways and staircases until he stopped in front of a stainless steel doorway.

"Sir? I was just bringing the woman her dinner. Is something wrong?" a guard asked him.  
"No, everything's fine, I just would like to give the food to her myself if you don't mind." he murmured.  
"Yes sir." the man replied smartly and handed the tray of food over to Ian.

Ian took the tray and the guard unlocked the door.  
Elizabeth looked up in alarm and glared immediately.  
"Hello Elizabeth, I'm sorry I couldn't visit sooner but I've been so busy with planning for our future." he said smiling.  
"...Ou-Our future?!" she sputtered.  
"Why yes." he set down the tray next to her. She cringed away from him. "With everyone out of the way, it's just you and I. And this is a big house: I need someone to share it with... Eat, please."  
He sat down next to her on the bed. She slowly inched away from him but picked up the tray and ravenously dug in. He chuckled and leaned back against the wall, watching her try to navigate around her chained wrists.  
"You know, I could take those off, if you behave." he said casually.  
She set her fork down and stared at him. "Why?" she asked suspiciously.  
He grinned, "Because Elizabeth, I don't want to be like Mr. Rochester and lock up my wife, although you certainly aren't crazy."  
She stared at him in horror. She knew the story of Jane Eyre well and referring to himself as Mr. Rochester was disgusting.

"There's no way in **hell** that I'll be your wife, Bertha or Jane, there's no chance. I'd rather eat a doorknob! You're a sick freak! The FBI will find you and lock you forever! Just you wait." she snarled.  
He smiled softly, "I highly doubt the FBI will find me. Do you even know what country you're in? What continent?" he chuckled. "Of course you don't. And they're not too worried about you. After all, you are dead."  
She blinked and giggled, "Are you daft? I'm not dead-"  
"But _they_ don't know that. I'll clue you in: after you fainted from loss of blood at the church, you were rushed to a hospital where you contracted a fever. Several days later, you began to get better when you suddenly from shock. But you didn't really die. We seized you and replaced you with a double that was laid to rest in your stead. You aren't even in their thoughts now. And you won't be since I'm going to kill them all: Abigail, Ben, and Mr. Poole... I should say we already got to Mr. Gates." Ian said nonchalantly, as if discussing the weather.

Elizabeth felt all the blood drain from her face. She bit her lip, bowed her head, and tried not to sob in front of her captor. She gripped the sides of the tray until her knuckles turned white. Ian laid a hand gently on her shoulder as if to console her. White, hot fury flew through Elizabeth. She stood up quickly, scattering the contents of the food tray everywhere. She tried to punch him but he grabbed her wrists and yanked her close to him. Her eyes were like liquid fury as she tried to get free. She snarled at him and tried to knee him. He slammed her into a wall and glared at her.

"I suggest you behave yourself. Until you can, you will stay here." he pushed off the wall and put some space between them. She glared at him, as a guard came in quickly and swept up the contents of her tray.  
"Get used to your new life you're going to be here for the rest of your time here on earth." he said and stalked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

She leaned against the wall, tears escaping her clenched-shut eyes. She was so angry. This man had completely ruined her life. Her sister was going to die. The man she loved thought she was dead and would die too. Why? Why?!

"FUCK!" she screamed, kicked the bed as hard as she could and began to punch her pillow.

_'I don't care what you say, I'm leaving this hellhole and I won't let you hurt them. Over my dead body.'_ She grabbed the bobby pin out of her hair and began to pick her lock inconspicuously.

"Ben, what are we going to do?" Abigail asked softly.  
"I'm not sure..." he murmured.  
They were sitting silently on the couch. A swarm of FBI were guarding them until a new plan was reached.  
"I'm not going to sit here while there's even a chance that Elizabeth is alive." Riley muttered, holding his face in his hands.  
"We have to, at least for now. Agent Sadusky is having her grave exhumed so we should find out soon enough." Ben said.  
Riley sighed and settled for a long day of waiting and hoping.


	5. Escape

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own National Treasure, just Elizabeth and this particular plot idea._

**Chapter Five**

_'Operation-get-the-hell-out-of-here-and-kick-ass is a go!'_ Elizabeth thought, strangely giddy.

She took a deep breath and rolled over. It was certainly nighttime for she was exhausted so she was pretending to sleep. She had managed to pick her locks earlier and continued to massage life back into her chafed and bloody skin. She decided now was as good a time as any. She began to subtlety move off the end of her bed. It took her about five minutes of nerve-racking torture but when she was down, she was very happy with the results.

Earlier she had figured out that there were only two spots she could hide from the camera; the end of her bed and directly below it. She had made her pillow look like she was huddled under the covers. She waited for a couple minutes and decided that since no one had come in yelling, she was safe.

Now came the tricky part. She had to sit very still in order to hear the chiming of the clock far off. She had heard a guard murmur about the strictness of the changing of the guards at night and how it was ridiculous that they would have one hour shifts. She would have to time this perfectly.

It felt like hours went by until she heard the faintest of fait chiming of a clock. Knowing she had only seconds, she rolled across the room quickly on the floor and dashed along the wall until she was directly below the camera. She held her breath and didn't move for awhile.

Now came another hard obstacle. She would have to be speedy for every second was one more chance the guard could notice her movement. She quickly began to unscrew the screws holding the vent cover in place with her bobby pin. It came off without a hitch and she quickly set it down on the floor quietly. She gazed at the dark hole in the wall, gulped once, and using what arm strength she could muster, pulled herself into the hole headfirst.

She wiggled herself in until she was completely immersed in the vent. It was extremely snug and she had only a little amount of space to wriggle her way down the shaft. It seemed to take Elizabeth hours until she got to a slanted shaft above her, which was a little roomier than the one she was in now.

She figured that she was in the basement, as you wouldn't want your prisoner to have that easy a time to escape. She began to crawl up the steep shaft. It was tricky maneuvering but she managed to scrape her way up, without making much noise.

She finally made it to level ground and continued to crawl about in an undignified manner. She wondered vaguely when they would notice her absence. She hoped it would be in the morning but that was no guarantee so she crawled quickly and cautiously.

Soon she encountered other shafts leading off in various directions, some above, some below, some to the left and right. She opted to go straight, as that would eventually take her to the end of the house. At least she hoped so. It seemed like forever and a half for Elizabeth until she finally felt cool air blowing on her. She began to speed up until she hit a dead end that led to the outside world.

She felt her world crashing around her. How on earth was she going to around that fan that would surely break a limb if it were caught? She bit her lip, unsure of what to do. She closed her eyes and her mind began to drift away to her first kiss with Riley and how annoyed her sister got when they first me their boys. How Mr. Gates had thought her and her sister to be pregnant. How smart Ben was with all the clues and how Riley had been so exited about his idea about daylights saving. She opened her eyes and stared at the obstacle before her: there was no way she was giving up now, no when she was so close to seeing them again.

She surveyed the fan, trying to find some way around it. She saw an electrical wire, but that was behind the whirring blades. The only way possible would be to kick it right in the center, where she would be least likely to be hit by the blades.

She sat back and readied herself. She kicked with both legs, aiming as best as she could. The force of her kick sent the propeller spinning off its axis, ripping through the outside vent, and spun to the earth. She blinked, _'I didn't think I was that strong...'_ she mused.

She crawled forward and looked down, surmising she was about twenty feet up in the air. She sighed and looked around, unsure of how to get down. She spotted a tree nearby. Biting her lip, she crawled out of the vent and clung to the wall, hoping she could reach a branch. She glanced at her surroundings, seeing nothing but an inky-black night. No moon. Well at least it might help her to hide.

She took a deep breath and took the biggest leap of faith ever. She felt as though her heart was in her throat and she was free falling. The tree was looming closer and closer until she flung her arms up to catch a branch... and missed. She bit back a scream as she flew past it and into a body of water. She froze and lay suspended in the water until her lungs screamed for air. She began to kick up to the surface, gasping for breath.

_'Salt water?'_ Elizabeth thought, treading water.

The current tugged her along until she washed up on a beach, next to a giant rock. Coughing and sputtering, she collapsed onto the warm sand. She lay there, not moving for a long time. Wearily, she got to her feet, knowing she wasn't out of the woods just yet. She stumbled down the beach, shivering violently. For hours on end she kept walking, thinking of her loved ones, hoping she would find someone friendly. Soon, the first rays of the sun peaked over the ocean. Elizabeth saw a huge mass ahead. Curious, she ran forward until she stood in front of a giant rock. her eyes widened in recognition: she had walked in a complete circle.

"I'm on an island." she whispered. Her knees gave out and she burst into tears as she stared at the sand on all fours. "It's hopeless... I'll never escape."

He sobs continued to rack her body so she wasn't able to hear the soft footsteps approaching. She felt arms wrap around her frame and her head whipped up: it was Ian.

He picked her up bridle style and began to carry her back to the house. "I'm glad you finally realize that." he murmured. "You belong to me."

Elizabeth let out a strangled sob. She wasn't aware of what was happening. She felt him lay in a large bed in an airy room. But she didn't care; she just wanted Riley! Ian waved in a doctor, who was carrying a syringe.

"Elizabeth, this will make you forget everything, mmkay? You'll feel a lot better." Ian whispered into her ear.

She shuddered away from but didn't resist the shot. She was far too tired to care anymore. Forgetting sounded like a nice idea at this point.

Ian watched as the doctor stepped away from Elizabeth and her eyes slide close. He smiled wolfishly. He had almost lost her but now she was back and soon she would forget everything. Everything that is, except him. He would really have to pay an arm and a leg for that shot, but it would be worth it. After all, a shot that induced a severe, irrevocable case of amnesia wouldn't be cheap...

Suddenly, Abigail's apartment was aflutter with noise and chaos.  
"What's going on?" Ben asked a nearby agent worriedly.  
"We have just received information on Ian Howe's whereabouts." the man said and scurried off to do his job.

Riley looked up from his hands and smirked.  
Abigail remained grim. "That man will pay dearly." she whispered in a deadly voice.  
"Most definitely." Riley replied.


	6. Fiancee

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own National Treasure, just Elizabeth and this particular plot idea._

**Chapter Six**

Sorry it's so short!

"So, what does that mean? I mean, is Elizabeth alive or... not." Ben asked.  
"It means that we've located Ian's hideout and we're going to see if maybe he has her there. Once we've apprehended him, we'll look for clues as to Elizabeth's fat." Agent Sadusky said.  
Riley nodded his head. _'Just hold on a little longer Elizabeth...'_

Blue eyes fluttered open to gaze upon a lofty ceiling. The young woman sat up in bed and looked around curiously. She wasn't sure where she was but she felt at peace. Slipping out from under the covers, she drifted over to the bay windows to look out upon the ocean.

"I feel like I should be doing something... I wonder..." she mused aloud.

She drifted back over to the bed and sat down. Something was off: everything before she woke up was a hazy blur. Panic began to weigh down heavily upon her chest. She couldn't remember: she couldn't remember **anything** before she had woken up this morning.

She was so wrapped up in her panic that she didn't hear anyone come into the room until said person was right in front of her.

"Are you alright?" he asked.  
She looked up in fright, who was this person?  
"I... don't know. I can't remember anything..." she whispered, not making eye contact. Suddenly, an icy grip clutched her heart. What if this man was very special to her? And she didn't remember him! She felt a hand gently grasp her chin and made her look up into his eyes. She squirmed uncomfortably under his penetrating gaze.  
"So you don't remember anything?" he asked softly, looking hurt.  
She averted her eyes. "I-I'm sorry." she whispered, her voice barely audible.  
"Hey, look at me." he murmured. She slowly brought her eyes up to his. "It'll be okay. I'll fill in the gaps, alright?"

She nodded her head and shyly smiled at him. He smiled back and wrapped his arms around her. She fell into his chest but made no protest. He shifted them both, so now he was seated on the bed and she was sitting in his lap against his chest. He began to stroke her hair.

"Do you remember your name or mine?" he asked softly.  
She bit her lip. "No." she whispered sadly.  
"Well then, I'll tell you: my name is Ian Howe. You're name is Elizabeth Chase, and you're my fiancée."


	7. Past

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own National Treasure, just Elizabeth and this particular plot idea._

**Chapter Seven**

Elizabeth cocked her head to one side. "What's a... fiancée?" she asked, perplexed.  
Ian blinked. _'I thought this would be easier.'_ he thought wearily.  
"A fiancée is someone who you promise to be with forever before you marry. When you marry, you legally promise to be with the other person forever. It's an act of love." he murmured, continuing to stroke her hair.  
"What's love?" she asked. This whole business was confusing to her.  
Ian bit back a groan. He couldn't get frustrated with her: it was a fresh start. He had to make this count.  
"Love, is the strong affection you feel towards a person. And you only feel it for them. It's a special feeling that when you see that person, you get really happy and want them to be happy." he said softly.

Elizabeth bit her lip and closed her eyes. She racked her brain for any memories... After a minute, her head began to hurt so she opened her eyes: nothing. She couldn't remember anything. So she examined her heart: did she feel anything for anyone? She took a deep breath: all she felt was confusion and apprehension.

"...Why don't I remember anything...?" she whispered, fearing the answer. She clutched his shirt, not making eye contact.  
Ian let slip a smirk: now she was asking the right questions. He quickly donned the saddened fiancée mask to tell of a strange story.

He told her how he had been searching for this mysterious treasure with two men, Ben Gates and Riley Poole. Neither of the names struck a chord with her, much to Ian's pleasure. He told her how he had been betrayed by them and how he had to steal a document, which was very important to some country, in order to keep it safe. He said that she and her sister had been kidnapped by the two men and how Abigail had fallen in love with Ben. He told her that Riley had a sick obsession with her but she didn't like him, instead, when given the choice to be with Riley or Ian, she chose Ian. He told her about how the two of them ran around trying to figure out the clues, only to be duped in the end. Ian told her that when they found the treasure, they would start a new life and became fiancées. He described how she had hit her head when they were escaping and Ian couldn't leave her so he was sent to jail and she had been in a coma until recently. He explained that he had broken out of jail and taken her away until she could recover without the threat of jail time.

Elizabeth listened with wide eyes. Was this really all true? She chewed on the inside of her cheek, it felt... right. It seemed familiar, just not tangible yet. She continued to ponder the information she had just been told while Ian watched her with a calculating gaze.

He had been told that to stick as close to the truth was the best way to go. He truly hoped it worked because he really wanted her. This past week had been a nightmare and he couldn't bear that she had been so terrified of him.

To Elizabeth's brain, the story was clicking, nothing was neither definite, nor coming back, but it just _felt_ right. Her heart was a different matter; it was balking at the thought of loving this man. It whispered softly that not all was right as Ian suggested it was. That something was amiss. However, that was all the explanation she got. Therefore, Elizabeth hesitantly decided to listen to her head. After all, if that was the only reason her heart could give, then it must not be that important... right?

She looked up at Ian and smiled. This was right, she had decided. This was the man she loved... and she would learn to love him again.

"Sir, sorry to interrupt, but we have news." a man said, walking into the room.

Elizabeth regarded him curiously. Obviously, her fiancée was an important man. Ian sighed and picked her up. She squeaked in protest, throwing her arms around his neck to keep herself stable. Ian chuckled and deposited her on the bed.

"Stay here and relax. There are some books over on the shelf there if you want to read. I should be back soon." he murmured, and planted a kiss on her forehead.

She blushed but smiled up at him.

Once he had left, she leaned back against her pillow, with a thoughtful look on her face...


	8. The Lion and the Lamb

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own National Treasure, just Elizabeth and this particular plot idea._

**Chapter Eight**

Elizabeth sighed and set down the book she had been attempting to read. She had browsed through all the books in the room and none of them could hold her interest. Her thoughts just kept tumbling around in her empty head. She sat on the floor, her knees up to her chest as she stared out the giant bay windows.

"I, Elizabeth Chase, am fiancé to Ian Howe, who I love dearly," she said quietly.

The words took up all the space in the room and seemed so heavy, as if her body loathed saying it. She analyzed this. Did she love Ian? Why did her heart balk at the idea? She sat there analyzing every inch of her brain, heart, and soul. Something wasn't right but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"I'm so confused, I don't know if I should trust Ian. But then, why shouldn't I? Oh, I just don't know!" she muttered, frustrated to no end with herself.

She sat up quickly and paced around the room. She felt like she had to _do_ something. Like her quest for something had been rudely interrupted. She stopped and looked at the door. Surely, it wouldn't be locked...?

She walked over to it and hesitantly turned the handle. To her elation, it wasn't locked. For some strange reason, the idea of being locked in a room terrified her to the point of insanity. She walked down the hallway quietly, hoping she wouldn't attract any attention. She passed many rooms but her feet just wandered until she was thoroughly lost. Panic began to press down upon her chest as she began to lose her calm. She felt trapped and needed to get out of the house before she burst from all the tension.

She was almost running in a blind panic when she stumbled upon the main hallway. She collected herself and walked as confidently as she could across the large room. There was no one impeding her way but at any time that could change. It was strange, she wasn't being held captive and yet she felt the need to sneak around.

Elizabeth ripped open the doors and ran out into the glorious sunlight. She smiled and did a small twirl of excitement as the wide blue skies alleviated all of her worries. She meandered down to the beach, which was a fair distance from the wharf. There she sat down in the sand, her knees up to her chest. She stared out to sea, pondering all the information she had been told.

It was strange, but despite the fact that what Ian had told her felt right, it still felt _distorted_ in some ways. The man was simply an enigma. She didn't want to believe that someone would lie to her, and she couldn't remember anyone ever doing so. She knew she was vulnerable, since she couldn't remember anything from before she woke up. She simply didn't have any experience with people at this point. She desperately wished that someone would appear and she would just... just _know_ that she could trust whatever it was he or she said.

She sighed wistfully: she would just have to be cautious around Ian. Nevertheless, she felt guilty since she really didn't think she had any reasons _not_ to trust him. She was so confused, her brain felt so befuddled she hardly noticed anything going on around her. Even if she had been paying attention, she wouldn't have put much thought towards the small boat, very far out to sea.

It had a telescopic camera, which some men were looking through and taking detailed pictures of the coastline. The man paused when he looked through to see a blonde-haired women sitting alone on the beach. He snapped a picture, wondering if she was the woman, Elizabeth Chase, that Ian Howe had supposedly taken captive. She certainly looked pensive and scared enough to be her. He watched, fascinated as a man fitting Howe's description came and began talking to her, eventually leading her away and up to the house.

"It looks like her spirit's been broken," the man mumbled.  
"What was that?" his coworker asked.  
"Ah... nothing..."

However, the man was right, her spirit was broken.

When Ian approached Elizabeth, she startled as though he were going to hurt her. "How are you doing Elizabeth?" he asked softly.  
"I-I'm doing well. Just thinking," she said quietly, feeling guilty for doubting him.  
"Do you want to come in for dinner?" he asked.  
"That would be lovely," she said smiling, looking at him for the first time.

He gently helped her up and led her back to the house, his fingers intertwining with hers. Inwardly he smirked: it was all going perfectly to plan.

___

Abigail, Ben, and Riley all sat around Abigail's kitchen table, waiting for any news from the reconnaissance team that had set out to get pictures of Ian's hideout. They all hoped that at least one might contain a snapshot of Elizabeth.

An FBI agent suddenly came bustling into the room and handed Agent Sadusky a large envelope. He nodded his thanks and quickly took out its contents, scanning each one. Most he gave to another agent, but three he set aside. The three friends were practically dying with nervousness. He pored over the three photos for a minute and then spoke.

"Here," he murmured quietly, setting one snapshot down.

It was a young woman sitting on a beach with her knees drawn up to her chest. Abigail gasped: there was no doubt about it her baby sister was alive! She slumped back in her chair and squeezed Ben's hand. He let loose a large sigh of relief. Elizabeth was alive! Riley grinned from ear to ear. She was all right and soon he could hold her in his arms again.

Agent Sadusky placed a second photo on the table and they all drank it in, eager for any news of their missing friend. Elizabeth was now conversing with Ian as if it was a normal and acceptable thing to do! They were all stumped and feared for the younger Chase sister.

He placed down the last picture, which in his opinion was the most telling. Elizabeth was being led by Ian, with their hands intertwined. Her head was bent forward as if she had a great burden on her shoulders. Her spirit did in fact seem broken, whether she knew it or not.

Riley was incensed and hurt. He loved Elizabeth and he knew that she loved him too. So, what was this all about?! She hated Ian! As he stared harder and harder at the picture, all he could conclude was that is was like the lion leading the lamb to the slaughter. Ian had done something to her and by god, Riley would do whatever was necessary to fix her.

* * *

Sorry this took awhile to get out. I've been so bogged down with schoolwork. I know, every other author has pulled that. But I'm back in the mood of writing/editing so you should see some more updates. Just a note, if you go to my profile, there's some links there for banners that people made me from Quizilla. I thought you guys might want to see them. Thanks for everyone who reads and reviews!

Aly


	9. Plans

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own National Treasure, just Elizabeth and this particular plot idea._

**Chapter Nine**

Dinner was an awkward affair. Elizabeth had tried to talk with Ian, but her heart just wasn't into it. Ian could tell she was immensely tired and ordered her to bed. Elizabeth complied, if only to try and make sense of her new life. She soon fell asleep.

Strange dreams flashed violently across her unconscious mind. Turbulent scenes of desperation and fear clung to her. She couldn't make sense of any of the images and when she woke up the next morning, she had a pervading sense of turmoil until it was slowly leeched from her mind by the lulling call of the ocean.

She got dressed into jeans, sandals, and a bohemian-ish white top. Throwing her hair in a ponytail, she was about to open her door to leave when she heard a whispered, "Miss!"

She looked around curiously, wondering if she had imagined it, when she saw a man's head peaking out from between the railing. She cautiously went over and dropped down to her hands and knees, opening her mouth to question him when she was cut off.

"Please be quiet miss, are you Elizabeth Chase?" he asked.

She nodded her head, bewildered by what was going on.

The man nodded his head in satisfaction, "You've caused quite a ruckus over in the FBI miss, but I need you to come with me now; you'll be safe with us."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about. I don't know what an 'F-B-I' is and I'm sorry for causing you trouble, but I'm perfectly safe here," she said, more confident than she felt.

Was she really safe here with Ian? It was strange but she felt... _weird_ around him. But she shrugged it off because her entire world was centered around Ian now. To go with a strange anywhere was impossible.

"No you aren't, miss. We're going to be capturing the fugitive Ian Howe and stop him. We need you to come with us to be safe. Surely you want to leave him, after all he did to you, your sister, and your friends," he said, confused as to why she wasn't jumping at the chance to escape.

"After what he did to them? Aren't they the ones that tried to keep the treasure all to themselves? Ian told me they're the bad ones, not him!" she said, huffing slightly.

The man blinked. They stared at each other for a couple seconds before he finally understood what had happened.

"He's brainwashed you," he murmured to himself.

Elizabeth frowned, "I don't know what that is, but he hasn't done anything to me. He's been extremely kind so I think you should leave."

She stood up and began to walk away, intent on telling Ian what had just happened.

"What is your earliest memory?" the man asked, his voice carrying through the room.

Elizabeth paused. She looked back at the man with sad eyes, "I remember waking up just yesterday from a coma. Ian says I have amnesia and I believe him.

"Miss, you may have amnesia, but Ian is lying. He's kidnapped you after staging your death. Whatever he's told you is a lie; either that or he's twisted what actually happened around to make himself look good. Please miss, believe me when I say this, he is lying to you. Don't believe him! Don't believe anything he says! Come with me if you want to know the truth," he said quickly.

Elizabeth was torn. She trusted Ian and yet this man was tugging at parts of her mind that were locked up. She hesitantly put a step in his direction.

"That's it miss. Please believe me. Come with me for the truth. You'll be okay, I promise," he cooed, as if talking to a skittish animal.

The truth: but what is this man was lying. She was so confused. She didn't know who to trust and who not to trust. Her mind believed Ian but her heart just wasn't accepting it. It yearned to go with the man but she was so scared. She took a couple more steps towards him, frightened of everything.

"Come on miss," he whispered, beckoning with his hand.

A couple more steps when suddenly, her door flew open and Ian, with several guards in attendance ran in. She yelped and jumped to the side, away from both men. Before the man could do anything, he was bound up by the guards. Ian slowly approached a shaky Elizabeth.

"Are you okay? He didn't harm you did he?" he asked quietly.

As the man was dragged away, he shouted, "Remember what I said miss!"

Ian moved closer, "Are you all right?"

Elizabeth dragged her eyes away from the man as he was forced out of her room. She looked up at Ian and resisted the urge to take a step back. His eyes were ferocious, practically spitting fire.

"I-I'm fine," she squeaked.

"What did he say to you?" he asked quietly.

"H-he just s-said th-that I-I shouldn't believe y-you," she stuttered, frightened by his demeanor.

He stared at her so intensely that she took a step backwards. He then blinked as if seeing her for the first time and let out a large sigh.

"I'm sorry for frightening you Elizabeth," he close the gap between and hugged her, "I was just worried you believed him He was obviously sent to kidnap you for Riley Poole... that bastard... I promise you'll be safe with me, I won't let anyone harm you," he rested his head atop hers, "I won't let anyone take you from me."

Elizabeth closed her eyes. She had no idea who was telling the truth.

_'Oh Lord, help me...'_

___

"I'm coming," Riley snapped, slamming his hand on the table.

"So am I," Abigail growled, glaring at Ben.

Ben and Agent Sadusky sighed in defeat.

The plan was to infiltrate Ian's island and capture Howe, preferably alive. They were hoping that Elizabeth could be freed before so she would be safe but that had failed. They had found out a couple hours ago that an agent was captured trying to lure her away. Strangely enough, she appeared not to have wanted to leave with him and he was taken prisoner. They would have to proceed carefully to get to Elizabeth and Howe before anyone died.

Riley and Abigail were dead set on going.

"Fine, you all can come but you'll be in one of the boats, not on the island. Is that clear?" Agent Sadusky asked.

They all nodded their heads.

_'Hang on Elizabeth, I'm coming for you...'_ Riley and Abigail both thought.

* * *

I'm going to try and get out ten tomorrow. I hope you guys liked this one. The next one is a doozy, that's for sure.

Aly


	10. Back from the dead?

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own National Treasure, just Elizabeth and this particular plot idea._

**Chapter Ten**

"Sir, the autopsy on Miss Chase is complete, here you are," an agent murmured, handing Sadusky a file.

He nodded his thanks and quickly flipped through it. Abigail, Ben, and Riley waited impatiently for the results. While they already knew Elizabeth was alive, this could confirm their hopes or completely dash them to bits.

"Well?" Riley asked, bouncing in his seat impatiently.  
"It's a dummy: an extremely clever one," Sadusky said quietly, still thumbing through the papers.  
"So, they killed someone else and replaced Elizabeth with it?" Abigail asked.  
Sadusky glanced up at their confused faces, "No, it's a dummy, not another human. That's why it's so clever. The best dummies in the underworld, but they sell for a hefty price. Howe must have really wanted Elizabeth to spend so much on her abduction. These dummies aren't all that rare, but without an autopsy they're virtually undetectable."

At the mention of Howe, they all grimaced in extreme distaste.

"Well, we're getting her back so it won't matter what he wants anymore," Ben said firmly.  
The other two nodded their heads.  
Sadusky sighed, "Let's get moving."

___

It was eleven at night by the time they all arrived on the outskirts of the island. Abigail, Ben and Riley were stationed with an agent on a small boat about a half-mile out. They were all festooned in black with binoculars glued to their faces. They couldn't see much except for a couple dark blobs moving about on the island's perimeter. All three of them were itching to be there themselves but Sadusky had expressly forbidden it.

They watched the FBI agents creep up to the house when suddenly, large spotlights flared on, blinding everyone who wasn't prepared for it. Howe's men swarmed out and apprehended every agent on the island. They could hear the distant cry of a megaphone and someone shouting, "If you don't want a blood-bath on your hands, I want Abigail Chase, Benjamin Gates, and Riley Poole. You have five minutes starting... now!"

The three looked at each other uneasily. What a drastic turn this night had taken...

___

The day had passed by in a pleasant blur of restful enjoyment. Ian had been so kind and yet Elizabeth still had doubts. It was dinner again and she sat there, pushing food around her plate.

"Elizabeth... did that man say anything in particular? Anything I should know?" Ian asked suddenly.

Elizabeth paused her building of a dam of mashed potatoes. She looked up into his steely eyes and flinched away, "H-He said s-something about an F-FBI but I d-don't know what that i-is," she stuttered.

He nodded and went back to eating. Elizabeth noticed that her hand had been shaking. She gulped and willed it to stop, "M-May I go s-sleep? I'm v-very tired," she whispered.

Ian studied the woman of his affections: she had taken to stuttering when he got angry. He sighed and resolved to be nothing more than the picture of calm and serenity... at least around her.

"Of course you can, I'll walk you up Elizabeth," he replied.

She nodded and allowed him to lead her to her room, but instead of going upstairs, he led her downstairs. After a few minutes of walking through confusing hallways, he led her to a metal door, "Elizabeth? I'm afraid that the FBI coupled with Poole will try to kidnap you so I moved your room down to the basement. It's very secure, you'll be okay, all right?" he opened up the door and she stepped inside.

It seemed as if Ian had tried to make it as comfortable as possible with a rug, nice bed, and nightstand with some books on it. He took her hand and gently kissed her forehead. She stood there numbly, "I won't let anyone harm you, I promise."

He then walked from the room, shutting the door behind him. She heard a tiny 'click!' and knew the door was locked. She sat on the bed and tried not to hyperventilate. Placing her head in her hands, she tried to breathe calmly and soon melted into her thoughts.

This place was toxic: she was loosing herself. Ever since she had spoken with that man, her curiosity had been thoroughly aroused. She felt some conviction deep down in her that she never, ever stuttered before. She wasn't skittish or weak. She raised her head: her eyes were on fire with determination. She _finally_ knew something that was concrete. Something deep inside her was trying to claw its way out and scream, "This isn't right!" and it was slowly working its way loose.

She ran a hand through her hair distractedly but paused when she felt a pin. She grinned, the first since she could remember, and stood up; her eyes alight with _real_ happiness.

"I'm going to find out who I really am, with or without Ian's help," she said without one hint of fear in her voice. Her spine seemed to have straightened and her spirit was almost fully mended, it just needed someone to help it become complete.

She began to pick the lock, wondering if she had had any prior experience in such matters. Shrugging, she continued, determined to get to the bottom of things. If Ian wouldn't give her any answers she felt were satisfactory than she would just go with those FBI people and figure it out from there.

She was satisfied to hear a small 'Click!" and stowed the pin back in her hair in case she would need it again. She opened up the door cautiously, hoping none would stop her. To her puzzled delight, there was no one around. Erring on the side of caution, she tiptoed down the hallway. She paused when she heard muffled shouting and pounding.

"Can anyone hear me? I know there's a guard out there, please!"

Elizabeth cautiously made her way over to the door where the commotion was coming from. Gathering her courage, she called out hesitantly, "Are you a prisoner of Ian Howe or a friend?"

The pounding and shouting stopped.

"Obviously if I'm stuck in here, I'm a prisoner. Who are you? You're not a guard, are you? Could you possibly get me out of here?"

She thought for a moment. Decidedly, she bent down and began to pick the lock, "Yes, I'll get you out."

It took about a minute but she was again rewarded with a lovely 'Click!' She stepped back as the door was opened quickly by an elderly man He stared strangely at Elizabeth, as if he were seeing a ghost.

"Are you all right sir?" she asked, unsure of what was wrong.  
"All right? I'm fine compared to you! You're dead! Well, you're supposed to be anyways... Why aren't you dead?" he asked, taking a step backwards.  
She blinked, "That's news to me sir, I'm not dead: at least as far as I know. You're free now and I have to be going. I need to find some FBI people and figure some things out. You're welcome to come with me though."  
He reached out a hand and touched her shoulder, "You aren't dead! Then, Elizabeth, what are you doing here? Ian... He must have kidnapped you and staged your death, and please, you should know me enough by now not to call me sir."  
She looked at him strangely, "I don't remember anyone or anything sir. I have amnesia and all the information I have to go on is what Ian's told me so far, which isn't much... So, I'm going to go find the FBI that are coming here to arrest him and figure out my life. Coming or not?"  
He in turn looked at her strangely, "Yes I am, but you don't remember anything? What has Ian told you? You shouldn't believe him, he's not to be trusted."

They began to move down the hallway.  
"No, just waking up with no memories. Ian told me that he was after a treasure, my sister and I were kidnapped, Ian was wrongfully set up and sent to jail, and a man named Riley Poole is evil and wants me. I don't know whom to believe, he's been very kind to me, even if he does act strange and frightening at times. But I feel like he's not telling me everything so I'm going to go with the FBI because I think they'll tell me the truth," she said softly. Pausing at a set of double doors, she looked him in the eyes, "Do I know you?"

She had no idea why she was telling this complete stranger everything she knew about herself, but she just felt like she could trust him. At lease, trust him more than she could Ian.

"Yes, well, you did. I'm Patrick Gates. Your sister and my son are... involved with each other. We all became entangled with the treasure... Some of us literally," he mumbled the last part to himself.  
Elizabeth smiled softly at him.  
"Let's get out of here Patrick, I'm tired of this oppressive atmosphere."  
"Truer words were never spoken."

* * *

Well, Patrick's back! When I originally wrote this, there were no plans for a sequel so it didn't matter that he had died, but then when the second movie came out I was like "Crap..." So I wrote him back in! I hope it's not choppy for you, I kind of like how it came together so neatly. I hope you guys liked it, thanks for all the reviews, favorites, alerts!

Aly


	11. The Opportune Moment

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own National Treasure, just Elizabeth and this particular plot idea._

**Chapter Eleven**

"So... what do we do?" Abigail asked uncertainly.  
"It's a trap for everyone involved," Ben said quietly.  
"Obviously, but what other choice do we have? Either we go and get Elizabeth or a bunch of people die and we never see Elizabeth again: I'm going to find her and I don't care whether or not either of you come with me," Riley snapped.

Abigail and Ben looked at each other uneasily. Before further discussion could be made, the agent on board with them handed Ben the radio.  
"Agent Sadusky would like to speak with you three," he muttered.

They gathered around the radio.  
"Yes?" Ben asked.  
"Abigail, Ben, Riley, are you all there?" Sadusky crackled over the radio.  
"Yeah, we're all here," Ben replied, "Sadusky, send us to the island."  
There was a pause from the radio.  
"Sadusky, we don't want your agents to die and he has Elizabeth. Sooner or later he'll use her to make us come over, we need to go," Ben continued.  
"You realize he wants to kill you three?"  
"...Yes."

___

As soon as Elizabeth pushed open the door, she and Patrick went on high alert. They didn't speak and were extremely careful, fully aware of what would happen if Ian caught them. They moved silently through hall after hall. It was surprising, but there were no guards, no signs of life at all.

They reached the main floor with no mishaps. Nearing a window, they chanced a glance to see what was going on. Suddenly, huge spotlights blasted on, blinding them both. They heard Ian, loud and clear on a megaphone shouting, "If you don't want a blood-bath on your hands, I want Abigail Chase, Benjamin Gates, and Riley Poole. You have five minutes starting... now!"

They watched helplessly as the FBI agents were captured by Ian's guards. Patrick groaned and slapped a hand to his head.  
"So much for our rescuers..." Patrick grumbled.  
Elizabeth gently patted him on the arm.  
"Let's try and figure out how to escape during this confusion. Maybe we can find a boat or something..." she suggested.

Before either of them could make a move, guards burst through the doors, startling them both. They both dropped down and hid behind a couple potted plants. They held their breath as the guards thundered by, oblivious to their presence. Letting out a breath, Elizabeth relaxed slightly. Patrick wiped his sleeve across his forehead.

"What should we do?" she asked, turning towards him.  
He looked at her, "We wait for the opportune moment."

___

Ian paced back and forth: he was so close... **so** close to finally completing his revenge. Soon he could sit back and just relax with Elizabeth... soon. Suddenly, movement far out on the water's edge caught his eye.

It was a boat and more specifically, and much more importantly, it was a boat that was moving towards the island. He grinned and picked up the binoculars hanging around his neck. It took a minute before he was able to make out the outline of four people, three of whom he knew very well. He took the binoculars off from around his neck, set them down, and walked inside.

"Sir?"  
"Make our guests comfortable and bring them to room D-5."  
"Yes sir."

___

Elizabeth and Patrick watched and listened from behind their simple shield, the potted plant. When the room had cleared of men, Elizabeth turned to Patrick.

"I think we've just stumbled upon it."  
"I do believe you're correct."  
"We'll split up."  
"So you'll go after-"  
"Yes, and you'll-"  
"Yes."

They shook hands firmly. Cautiously, they both left their temporary sanctuary. Patrick headed towards a corridor while Elizabeth neared the stairs Ian had gone down. They both paused and looked at each other. With a resolute nod, Patrick trotted off down the corridor. Elizabeth nodded, watching him go.

She turned to go down the stairs. With a soft sigh, she began to quietly tread her way down. She was exceedingly nervous and not at all sure if her plan would work. She couldn't even begin to fathom whom she would meet, but she had to do this if she was ever going to figure out who she was.

Carefully she navigated the stairs. Coming to the end, she paused and quickly glanced down the other halls. She frowned: it was suspiciously quiet and empty of life. Absentmindedly she scratched the back of her head; it felt like an inaudible buzzing was flitting about. But, every time she tried to concentrate on it, it flitted out of conscious thought. She growled and took off down the hall, hoping she would run into room D-5.

She paused at the first door she came across: it read A-1. She sighed and trotted back to the other halls. Picking another one, she inspected the door; B-1.

"What on earth?" she murmured.

She quickly checked the other door; C-1. She quickly made her way down the hallway, coming to another set of hallways. She located the D-hall and searched the doors for number five: but it didn't exist. There was D-1, D-2, D-3, and D-4. She was at a dead end and nowhere close to getting answers. She slumped against the wall, looking up to the ceiling as if looking for guidance and knocked her head lightly on the wall. Then, it began to move.

She jumped back with a yelp. The wall slowly moved aside to reveal a hidden passageway. Tentatively, Elizabeth stepped inside. Taking a few steps, she heard the door ominously close behind her.

Swallowing thickly, she continued until she reached another set of hallways. She heard distant voices from the right hallway so she went down the left until she came to a door a couple feet away from the original hallway. It was locked but she was able to pick it. She peeked around the door but it was an empty conference room. She slipped inside and shut the door. Now all she had to do was wait; after that, well, that was another matter entirely.

* * *

I'm not sure if I can update tomorrow, but I'll do my best! I hope you guys like this chapter!

Aly


	12. Ladies First

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own National Treasure, just Elizabeth and this particular plot idea._

**Chapter Twelve**

The boat slowly drew up to the dock. Abigail, Ben, and Riley jumped off onto it while the boat quickly zoomed away, leaving an ominous silence in its wake. They glanced nervously at each other.

"What now?" Riley mumbled softly.  
"Welcome."

Lights blared on, momentarily blinding them. Suddenly, they were roughly seized; their arms were tied behind their backs and bags were thrown over their heads. They fought off the sudden attack until someone snarled, "If you don't cease this foolishness, the girl will die."

Well that certainly got their attention and they quieted their struggles. Grim determination filled Abigail to find her sister. Ben felt a mantle of duty fall around his shoulders to protect his friends and loved ones. Riley readied himself for the fight of his life. He would not fail Elizabeth again.

___

Elizabeth pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin atop with her back to the door. She felt numb, not knowing what she should do next. The waiting was simply killing her and the enclosed space was making her short of breath. Distantly she heard footsteps, softly at first but then louder. She scrambled to press her ear against the door and listen but all she could hear was the tromping of footsteps. Peering through a crack in the door, she watched as three prisoners were led down the hall to the main door, where Ian was.

They passed through and the door was locked shut with a horrible 'click!' She stood up and looked around.

"_The air vent!_" she thought, her face brightening.

She pushed a chair over to the air vent in the top of the wall and used her beloved hairpin to unscrew the metal screen covering the vent. She gently placed it on the floor and scrambled, as quietly as she could, into it. Elizabeth wiggled forward until the space opened up a little more and she was able to army crawl much easier. Continuing forward, she paused as she saw an opening in the bottom of the vent.

Inching closer, she was able to see down into the room. She watched as the prisoners were sat down in chairs and the bags were lifted off their heads.

"_My sister..._" she thought with wonder.

They did look a lot alike: the young woman below her was almost an exact image except she seemed more mature and older than Elizabeth. The man next to her reminded her of Patrick, so she concluded that this was his son. She couldn't see the other man's face and so she was left in the dark as to what he looked like.

"Welcome to my home. It's been far too long, Abigail, Benjamin, and Riley," Ian said kindly, malice hidden under the surface.

Elizabeth couldn't see his face and was thankful for that.

"Where's Elizabeth? What did you do to her?!" the man she couldn't see shouted.  
"Temper temper... she's safe with me. You really shouldn't worry about her, you should worry about yourselves."

She heard something slide from a metal surface.

"Who should be the first to taste my revenge? Riley...? No, you can be last: it might just teach you some patience."  
"Shove it Howe."  
"Ever the educated one... Ah my dear friend Benjamin Gates."

Elizabeth leaned forward, trying to get a better look.

"We've had some good times, a pity it ends this way."  
"A pity it's not the other way around."  
"Quite."

"Miss Abigail Chase, a pleasure."  
"If by pleasure you mean that I just threw up a little in my mouth, then yes, the pleasure is all mine."  
"Let's go with the old saying, 'ladies first'."

There was a pause and then a soft 'click!'  
"NO!" Ben and Riley shouted, straining against their bonds.

From Elizabeth's vantage point, she could see her sister pale. She squinted her eyes: it was a gun. Ian was pointing a gun at _her_ sister. She pressed her wait down on the metal grate, about to yell when it suddenly gave way.

Elizabeth let loose a shriek as she fell through the hole in the vent and went crashing to the floor.

"_Oh no..._"  
"Elizabeth!!" four people yelled.

She had landed on her right wrist funny. It throbbed like there was no tomorrow and she was certain she had broken it, especially when someone grabbed it and yanked her to her feet.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were in your room!" Ian said frantically, trying to drag her away from the three prisoners.  
"You were going to shoot my sister!" she yelled, and yanked her wrist free, nursing it to her chest.

Ian froze. She backed away from him towards her sister and the others.

"You're going to kill them all! Why? Why would you do that?! I-I trusted you!"  
"Elizabeth, you don't understand-"  
"What's not to understand, you're going to shoot my sister! An-And Ben, Patrick's son-"  
"How do you-"  
"You should have spared some guards to watch us instead of getting cocky!"  
"Wait-" Ben tried to say something, but Ian and Elizabeth paid no heed.  
"You haven't been telling me the truth! Things aren't adding up and if you won't tell me the truth then I'll go find someone who will!"  
"Oh no you won't!"

Ian leveled his gun at Elizabeth. Everyone froze.

"You will stay with me until your dying day."

It seemed like a standoff. She looked at her sister, who was crying silently, staring intently at her. Ben was staring as well, anger blazing at Ian for putting them al in such a situation. She timidly looked at Riley: he gave her such an anguished look that touched her to her very core. Her head began to hurt a little. She tore her gaze from him and looked back at Ian. His face was twisted into a maniacal mask of hatred and love. She shuddered but held her ground.

"Over. My. Dead. Body," she hissed slowly, hatred pouring into her every word.

He flinched as if she had physically hit him.

"Then they die," he turned the gun on Riley.  
"Wait, no!" Ian paused and looked at her, "Please don't hurt them, please, I-I'll stay with you, j-just don't hurt them... Don't hurt _him_," she whispered, close to tears.  
"I'm glad you've finally come to your senses," he turned the gun away from Riley.  
Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief.  
"Elizabeth, don't sell yourself for me, I'll be fine, please," Riley murmured.  
"It's okay, I know what I'm doing."

She slowly began to walk towards Ian, in hopes of getting the gun out of his hands. When she was a foot away, he grinned suddenly and pointed the gun back at Riley. With a strangled cry of 'No!' she launched herself in front of him as Ian pulled the trigger. She crumpled to the floor hard as blood oozed from her wound.

"Elizabeth!"

There were yells and chaos seemed to erupt as the second part of her plan came into action. Patrick had arrived with the newly freed FBI agents.

Too many things were happening at once and her brain began to shut down. Her eyes slide closed as black specks ate away at her vision. Warm arms wrapped around her suddenly, shifting her aching body. Her head began to pound, as if something were trying to get out.

"Elizabeth, please..."

She smiled as she began to lose consciousness; she was finally safe.

* * *

Yay! This is pretty much one of my favorite chapters! Enjoy!

Aly


	13. Memory

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own National Treasure, just Elizabeth and this particular plot idea._

**Chapter Thirteen**

It was dark, of that she was sure. She paused for a moment... and cold. Very cold. Which was strange because she had never experienced such darkness and coldness before. Well now wait a minute; she had been here, but not as deep. She hadn't sunken into this strange atmosphere as much as she had now. She felt some mild surprise, which she thought might be a strange reaction for such a situation. Shouldn't she feel... scared?

_Hmm, no, no I'm not scared. I'm safe. I __know__ that much at least_.  
**It's cold**.  
_Why yes it is, I wonder why though? I don't remember much..._  
**Memory.**  
_I don't have one do I?_  
**No, not yet.**  
_Why aren't I... scared...?_  
**Because you're ****safe****.**  
_How peculiar._

It was a strange conversation to say the least. She had no idea with whom she had just conversed, but it felt perfectly normal and she was willing to leave it at that. Time, as it is want to do, passed. She was unsure of how much, but it just didn't seem to matter. With the added time, she was becoming more aware of herself.

_Why does my head hurt? Like something's trying to get out?_  
**Memory.**  
_So, is it coming back to me?_  
**Yes.**  
_But, it hurts._  
**So?**  
_I see._

She was becoming impatient, because she wanted her memory. She wanted to understand things about herself she was only starting to realize. Like _why_ she felt safe and _why_ her body ached. Why was she stuck in the dark, literally and figuratively, and _why_ was her memory _so important_?

_I have many questions, so will I ever have answers?_  
**Yes.**  
_When?_  
**Soon.**  
_Okay._

More time passed and she felt as if she would never find her memory. As if she would never leave the _cold_ and **dark** she had come to associate with her life.

_Something's coming. What is it?_  
**Change.**  
_That's big._  
**Naturally.**  
_Am I ready?_  
**No one is ever ready.**  
_That's a comforting thought._

And then, as if her world had suddenly gone from horizontal to vertical, she was slipping through the layers of her cold and dark world into a warm and light one. With seemingly no effort at all, she opened her eyes for the first time in a long while.

White.

It was so white that she immediately got a headache. She shifted her weight to try and sit up but her headache so intensified she gasped and slumped back down. Loud noises buzzed up suddenly as if a swarm of locusts had taken flight. She squinted her eyes and could see the fuzzy outlines of strange and loud creatures. She blinked her eyes several times to clear the blur.

Yawning, she popped her ears and could hear distinct sounds.

"-o okay?"  
"What-?"  
"-beth?"

She inhaled deeply, almost experimentally. Her chest ached but it was manageable. The loud buzzing slowly died down and she was finally able to focus.

"Hello Elizabeth, how are you feeling?"

She studied the man before her closely. The room was deathly silent as she studied the man before her. Suddenly she brightened and with a large smile declared, "I've never seen you before."

The man blinked a couple times, looking quite stunned. He regained his composure and asked, "Do you remember anything Elizabeth?"

She thought for a moment. Closing her eyes she tried to shift her thoughts around. Remember? Remember what?

**Memory.**

And then, she stumbled through a door in her mind, and was assaulted with every memory she had ever had.

_"But I don't want to file! It's boring! Why can't I go look at all the documents?"  
"Abby! Throw it!"  
"What an adventure. I thought for sure that gun was going to hurt me, not the ground."  
"It's an Ottendorf cipher, the Egyptian mathematicians used them a lot."  
"...Isaac please."  
"EW! You're covered in dust!"  
"Victor!"  
"There's no way in hell that'll I'll be your wife..."  
"I... don't know. I can't remember anything..."  
"Let's get out of here Patrick."  
"You were going to shoot my sister!"  
"It's okay, I know what I'm doing."_

A ragged breath tore its way free from her throat. Her eyes snapped open and began to leak tears. They searched frantically around the room for one person in particular.

"Riley," she whispered, choking on a sob, "I remember."

He walked over to the side of the bed and gently clasped her hand. Placing a kiss on her forehead he murmured over and over again, "Thank you God."

___

"Yeah you got it chief. Thank you. Bye," Riley snapped his cell phone shut, "They want us in Cairo next week for the opening of the exhibit," he paused, "They're sending a private jet."

The Chase sisters, Ben, and Riley were all standing on the lawn of a large, old home.

"Fun," Abigail murmured.  
"Big whoop: you could have had a whole fleet of private jets. Ten percent Ben. They offered you ten percent and you turn it down," Riley muttered.  
"Riley, we've been over this. It was too much, I couldn't accept it," Ben replied, more amused than annoyed.  
"I actually have this splinter that's been festering for three months from an old piece of wood," he continued.  
"Well let me see it then," Elizabeth said and grabbed his hand, inspecting it.  
"I'll tell you what. Next time we find a treasure that redefines history for all mankind, you make the call on the finder's fee," Ben said, trying not to laugh.  
"It's not funny. What do you care? You got the house, and the girl."  
"What about this girl?" Elizabeth asked blandly.  
"Shh, I'm trying to enact the guilt factor," he whispered, although they could all hear him.

"Enjoy your spoils while I sit on one percent," he jumped into his red sports car, which obviously cost a lot of money. Elizabeth opened the passenger door and sat next to him, "One stinking percent. Half of one percent actually. One percent."  
"I'm sorry for your suffering Riley," Ben said, clearly not sorry at all and extremely amused.  
"For the record Ben, I like the house."

"You know, I chose this estate because in 1812, Charles Carrol-"  
"-did something in history and had fun. Yeah that's great. Could have had a bigger house."

He pulled out, rather outrageously, going into the grass and proceeded down the road.

"Hey Riley?"  
"Yeah Elizabeth?"  
"You're a bad driver."  
"Thanks, I love you too."

"....."  
"I love you Riley."  
"I love you Elizabeth."

* * *

Well, that's it! This little story is done! Thank you to everyone who messaged me, TriGemini especially who has messaged me from the beginning! Thanks to everyone else! I have the second movie now and I'm going to try and start it next week. We'll see because finals are coming up. Worst case scenario it won't start until after December 13th. Thanks for all the support and stay tuned for something along the lines of _Book of Secrets? More like manly diary goodness!_ or something like that.

Aly


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